Dubai recently opened the Middle East’s first smart free zone, the Yiwu Market, which is expected to increase trade between the United Arab Emirates and China, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported July 7. The zone -- located at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone and established by ports operator DP World and the China Commodity City Group -- includes 324 customs-bonded warehouses with loading docks and 1,600 showrooms, the report said. The zone is also close to the Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum International Airport, which will allow traders to “easily move goods for import and export by air to and from their warehouses at low logistical cost,” HKTDC said. The zone includes several incentives to attract traders, HKTDC said, including no management fees for the first 27 months.
Kenya recently issued more tariff exemptions for certain feed ingredient imports to address rising domestic costs of feed, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in a July 1 report. The country will exempt “genetically engineered Bt. cottonseed cake, distillers’ dried grains with solubles, and rapeseed cake” from the import duties, the agency said. USDA said the moves aren't likely to reduce feed costs because Kenya restricts imports of “most” GE feed ingredients.
Morocco recently imposed import duties on all overseas online purchases, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported July 6. Previously, goods purchased online with a value less than $125 were exempt from import duties. HKTDC said “non-commercial shipments” valued at less than $125 will remain exempt.
Egypt has been able to secure a “stable” supply of wheat over the past three months despite the large-scale disruption to its wheat trade caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in a June 22 report. Egypt had bought more than 80% of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine over the past five years (see 2203290025), but USDA said the country has quickly pivoted to a “diverse” set of markets and has reported no wheat, flour or bread shortages. Its new sources include India, USDA said, which exported its first shipment of wheat to Egypt’s private sector earlier this month.
Israel recently removed tariffs on a range of imported industrial, food and consumer goods, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported June 9. The country removed the tariffs as part of a government-led import reform that began June 1, which also eliminated certain local compliance standards for the goods, HKTDC said. Israel also will eliminate inspections on the imported goods if the importer declares the products meet “international standards,” the report said. The reduced tariffs apply to oils, salts, nitrates, phosphates, medicines, minerals, paper products, rubber, plastics, paints, construction products, textiles, kitchenware and more.
KPMG recently published a report on updated trade and customs requirements in East Africa. The report covers some of the broader market access and reduced trade barriers available to Congo due to its accession to the East African Community; recent amendments to the EAC common external tariff; customs recordkeeping requirements; and customs post-clearance audits.
East African Community member countries recently agreed to raise minimum external tariffs from 25% to 35% for several agricultural goods, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a May 25 report. The tariffs will apply to certain dairy products, meat products, cereals, cotton, textiles, edible oils, beverages, spirits, fruits and nuts, among other items, the report said. The tariffs will increase July 1, USDA said, and will apply to exports to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Iran is considering exporting natural gas to Europe in a potential bid to capitalize on international sanctions against Russian energy. An Iranian oil and gas ministry official said officials are “studying it but have yet to reach a conclusion,” the ministry’s news agency, Shana, said May 15. “However, Iran always seeks development of energy diplomacy and expanding the market.” The official didn’t say how it would export its product, which is subject to strict U.S. sanctions.
Bahrain will soon ban all imports and sales of certain single-use plastic bags, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 13. The ban, which takes effect Sept. 19 and will apply to all single-use bags less than 35 microns in thickness, won't apply to plastic bags for export or for medical purposes. HKTDC said the “vast majority” of Bahrain factories will be able to manufacture plastic bags thicker than 35 microns or “produce acceptable alternatives to the banned products.”
Kenya recently began local product standards inspections for all imported cargo, eliminating the option for importers to obtain pre‑export verifications and avoid local testing, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council reported May 11. Kenya in April began inspections for all imports “at a fee equivalent to 0.6% of the approved customs value subject to a minimum of US$265 and a maximum of US$2,700 exclusive of testing charges,” the country told traders, according to the report. HKTDC said Kenya has since increased the number of inspectors at its ports of entry and set “new targets for certificate issuance of two hours for airfreight and two days for sea cargo.” Imports that don’t meet Kenyan standards must be re-shipped or destroyed.